A PENSIONER who has made 75 blood donations in the last decade today revealed his life-saving actions had been inspired by ... Miss Hong Kong!

A chance meeting between Stuart Wallace and the beauty queen when he was working aboard a Royal Navy ship in 1960 led to him offering up his blood on a regular basis.

But in the last decade his giving has reached new heights, with 75 trips to local blood donor banks.

Back in 1960, Miss Hong Kong's visit was part of a British Red Cross campaign to encourage people to give blood.

And the 66-year-old, of Clayton-le-Moors, said: "That was definitely what got me started. But since then I have given blood all over the world and know that each donation has helped to save lives.

"My neighbour needed transfusions and he lived until he was 97 years old - not bad going!"

In the last 10 years he has made 75 donations and, along with other top donors from across the North West, received an engraved crystal award for his efforts at a ceremony held at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground.

He was presented with the award by Jill Wright, from Salford, who had life-saving transfusions during an emergency Caesarean section to deliver her son Cameron two years ago.

Jill thanked donors at the ceremony. She said: "Every day I feel lucky to be alive and bringing up my two beautiful sons, but without kind people like you who give blood it could have been very different."

Rachel Roberts, from the National Blood Service, said: "Donors like Stuart are very special, and we'd like to thank him on behalf of all the patients who have benefited over the years from his kindness."

And Mr Wallace, a retired crane driver, who lives in Arnside Close with his wife Nora, 66, said: "You can only carry on giving blood until you are 70, so I'm hoping to get to 100 by then."

For more information about giving blood, or to register as a blood donor, call 0845 7 711 711 or visit www.blood.co.uk.